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Savannah Ranger earns second highest Army honor

Corey Dickstein/Savannah Morning News Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno, left, prepares to pin the Distinguished Service Cross on Sgt. Craig Warfle Friday morning at Hunter Army Airfield. Warfle, of the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, was honored with the Army's second highest award for valor for his actions in Afghanistan in August 2010.

Corey Dickstein/Savannah Morning News Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno shakes hands with Sgt. Chirstopher Coray Friday morning after pinning the Silver Star on him at Hunter Army Airfield. Three Rangers with the Hunter-based 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment were awarded the Silver Star during the ceremony. The other two recipients are pictured to the sergeant's right, Staff Sgt. Dominic Annecchini, and his left, Sgt. Michael Ross.

Corey Dickstein/Savannah Morning News Sgt. Craig Warfle, of the Hunter Army Airfield-based 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Friday morning was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in August 2010 during a firefight in Afghanistan. The award is the Army's second highest honor for valor after the Medal of Honor.

Corey Dickstein/Savannah Morning News Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno, with 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment commander Lt. Col. Robert Harman, and battalion Command Sgt. Major Charles Albertson place the Presidential Unit Citation ribbon on the battalion colors during a ceremony Friday morning at Hunter Army Airfield. The battalion earned the honor for its heroism and valor during combat operations in Afghanistan from May to August 2010.

Sgt. Craig Warfle stood perfectly still as the Army’s top general pinned the small, eagle-emblazoned cross onto his uniform Friday morning.

During a ceremony to honor the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment and 28 of its Rangers, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno awarded Warfle the Army’s second-highest honor for valor during combat — the Distinguished Service Cross.

“It feels kind of surreal,” said Warfle, who enlisted after graduating high school in Stow, Ohio, in 2008. “It actually happening with all these senior officers and (noncommissioned officers) around, it’s a really humbling feeling. Obviously having (Gen. Odierno) here — seeing him walk in made it really hit home.”

Warfle became only the 26th soldier awarded the Distinguished ServiceCross since troops began operating in Afghanistan in 2001, Odierno said. The honor made the sergeant the Ranger Regiment’s second most decorated soldier — Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry was awarded the Medal of Honor last year for his actions in Afghanistan with the Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.-based 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in May 2008.

Warfle’s Distinguished Service Cross, according to the Army’s citation accompanying the award, was earned during a firefight in August 2010 in which Warfle and other Rangers were dropped in to assault a group of Taliban fighters.

“As a young specialist (Warfle’s) distinctive actions as an automatic rifleman provided effective fire against enemy machine gun positions, saved the lives of his fellow teammates and resulted in the deaths of 16 Taliban fighters,” Odierno said. “… It’s about young soldiers doing their jobs, being there for each other, relying on each other, and knowing that they ... will step up when the situation necessitates it. Sgt. Warfle is just another great example of the many great soldiers and warriors who are willing to put their lives on the line for their fellow Rangers and fellow soldiers.”

During the battle, Warfle was shot in the arm, but he continued to operate “with total disregard for his own personal safety, maneuvered on a fortified enemy machine gun position through effective enemy fire,” the Army citation reads. “... His actions allowed the platoon to hastily withdraw and defeat the enemy using air assets.”

Although he said he understands the meaning of the award, Warfle said it was something any of his battalion-mates would have done.

“It kind of gets put on the back burner in your mind,” said the sergeant who has served two additional deployments to Afghanistan since. “It’s humbling, you know. It’s something that at the time we were just doing what we were doing.”

The battalion was also honored with the Presidential Unit Citation for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while conducting combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom,” while deployed from May to October 2010.

“Since 2001, there have been nearly 16,000 valor awards presented to our soldiers for heroic actions — for going above and beyond the call of duty in both Afghanistan and Iraq,” Odierno said.

“And all of the awardees here today epitomize selfless service to a cause greater than themselves... We’ve (awarded) very deserved valorous medals for honor to these exceptional Rangers whose individual gallantry in battle has added to the legend of the esteemed 75th Ranger Regiment and to its 1st Battalion.”